Big Match Breakdown: Leeds United v Middlesbrough
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Odds and tips ahead of Championship clash
Friday night sees a Championship cracker at Elland Road, as the league’s top two face off under the floodlights.
Leeds United and Middlesbrough are both on 13 points, three clear of the play-off pack. And prior clashes between the pair suggest it will be a hotly-contested affair.
Ahead of this Yorkshire derby, the Coral News Team have all the odds and info in another Big Match Breakdown…
Head-to-Head
There’s not been much between these sides over history. The pair have met 97 times in total, with Leeds edging it by 38 wins to 32.
Last season’s two meetings ended with one win apiece. The Whites won 2-1 at Elland Road, before Boro won an unusually one-sided game 3-0 at The Riverside in March 2018.
Likely XIs
Marcelo Bielsa is likely to stick with the 4-2-3-1 system which has worked well so far. But Kemar Roofe could move to the right flank to accommodate Patrick Bamford as the lone striker.
Boro have had some joy with a 3-5-2 of late, and could go that way again. Everton loanee Mo Besic is likely to sit deep in a five-man midfield, with George Friend and Ryan Shotton doing the legwork out wide.
Key Battles
Leeds have been breathtaking on the counter-attack under Bielsa. Boro’s wide men will have to be at their energetic, combative best if they’re to have any chance of keeping Roofe and Macedonian international Ezgjan Alioski quiet.
As is typical with Pulis sides, Boro’s attacking threat is primarily about physicality. Martin Braithwaite and Britt Assombalonga will make this a physical battle for Leeds’ backline, whilst the towering Aden Flint is also a big threat from set-pieces.
Match Odds
In the Match Result market, Leeds are 6/5 favourites. There’s 11/5 about a Boro win, with the Draw at 23/10.
Roofe has been on song lately, with four league goals to his name already this term. He’s 13/8 to Score Anytime, making him joint-favourite alongside Bamford.
Britt Assombalonga netted Boro’s solitary goal at Elland Road last term, and is the visitors’ most likely goalscorer at odds of 2/1.
Leeds are the division’s top scorers with 13 goals in five games, with Boro also managing a respectable nine. It’s 8/11 for Both Teams to Score, while Coral’s odds make it 10/11 for Over 2.5 Goals.
Click here for the latest Leeds v Boro odds from Coral.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing
